Vhale
Vhale Phinisi
The sea has seasons, the fare has none
Updated 4 November 2026
Komodo high season and low season change the sea, the crowd and the light, but not the Vhale fare: IDR 148,000,000 (≈ USD 9,080) is the whole-boat price for three days all year. This page sets all twelve months against the sea, Padar sunrise and Kalong dusk, and says who decides to sail.
Month by month, the sea against the appetite
The year has two halves and a good deal of argument in between. From April to November the weather is dry, the sea is mostly calm, and the water is clear enough to read the bottom at Taka Makassar. From December to March it is wet, the sea is rougher, visibility drops, and the manta season is at its best, which is the one thing the wet months can say for themselves. July and August stay dry, turn windy, and see the anchorages fill. September, October and November are the quiet, clear end of the dry run.
For a party of twenty or more the question is less which month is best than which month is kind to everybody. A grandmother and a nine-year-old are the test. The table below sets the sea, the visibility, the mantas and the crowds against all twelve months, and our own short reading of each month sits in its cell. If you are free to choose, choose October or November. If you are not free, any month sails.
| Month | Sea | Visibility | Mantas | Crowds | Rain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | rough | low | peak | low | wet | The wettest month, with the roughest sea and the lowest visibility; mantas at their best. Padar sunrise 05:54. |
| February | rough | low | peak | low | wet | Wet again and rough, the quietest on the water. A month for mantas and for patience. Padar sunrise 06:05. |
| March | moderate | medium | good | low | wet | The last wet month, as showers ease and the sea settles. Padar sunrise 06:06. |
| April | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | The dry season opens: calm sea, clear water, a fair number of boats. Padar sunrise 06:04. |
| May | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Dry, calm and clear, the easiest month for the Rinca walk and the reef. Padar sunrise 06:07. |
| June | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Dry and bright, with the south-east wind beginning to gather. Padar sunrise 06:14. |
| July | rough | medium | peak | high | dry | Dry but windy, with a busier sea and crowded anchorages; mantas are around. Latest Padar sunrise of the year, 06:18. |
| August | rough | medium | peak | high | dry | The windiest dry month and the busiest, with mantas common. Padar sunrise 06:12. |
| September | moderate | high | peak | medium | dry | The wind eases and the water clears again. A good shoulder month. Padar sunrise 05:56. |
| October | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Calm, clear and hot, and fewer boats than in July or August. Padar sunrise 05:39. |
| November | calm | high | fair | low | dry | The dry season at its end: calm sea, clear water, quiet stops. Earliest Padar sunrise, 05:31. |
| December | moderate | medium | peak | medium | wet | Wet weather starts again and the mantas return; the final week of the year fills with holiday parties. Padar sunrise 05:38. |
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Padar's first light, twelve months compared
Padar is climbed before sunrise on day two of the route, so the sunrise table is also a table of alarm clocks. The earliest sunrise of the year falls in November at 05:31, and the latest in July at 06:18: under an hour separates them, which says something sensible about being on the equator's doorstep. In October the sun rises at 05:39, and the party that wants light on the ridge will be climbing in the dark before that.
The ridge is a steep walk and a poor place to discover that a child is cross. The table is a guide to when to wake the party, not to how to feel about it. The captain tells you the evening before what time the tender goes, and the time depends on the tide and the weather as much as on the sun.
| Month | Sunrise | Leave the boat by | On the ridge by |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 05:54 | 04:49 | 05:34 |
| February | 06:05 | 05:00 | 05:45 |
| March | 06:06 | 05:01 | 05:46 |
| April | 06:04 | 04:59 | 05:44 |
| May | 06:07 | 05:02 | 05:47 |
| June | 06:14 | 05:09 | 05:54 |
| July | 06:18 | 05:13 | 05:58 |
| August | 06:12 | 05:07 | 05:52 |
| September | 05:56 | 04:51 | 05:36 |
| October | 05:39 | 04:34 | 05:19 |
| November | 05:31 | 04:26 | 05:11 |
| December | 05:38 | 04:33 | 05:18 |
Computed for the location; accurate to a few minutes. The crew shifts wake-up with the actual swell.
Kalong's bat flight against the dusk clock, all twelve months
Day one of the route ends at Kalong, where the boat drops anchor for the night and the bats fly out at dusk. The table gives sunset for every month and the time the bats fly. In May the sun goes down at 17:49, the earliest of the year; in February it sets at 18:26, the latest. October is 17:55, by which time the outdoor dining table has been laid and someone has already asked whether the bats are coming.
Dusk on this coast is brief, since the sun drops fast near the equator. The party that wants to watch the flight from the deck should be on the deck a little before the table says. Whether the bats fly on cue, in what number and in which direction is up to the bats; we promise the place and the hour, not the performance. Water, tea and coffee are on the fare.
| Month | Sunset | Bats fly from about |
|---|---|---|
| January | 18:27 | 18:42 |
| February | 18:26 | 18:41 |
| March | 18:15 | 18:30 |
| April | 17:58 | 18:13 |
| May | 17:49 | 18:04 |
| June | 17:50 | 18:05 |
| July | 17:57 | 18:12 |
| August | 18:00 | 18:15 |
| September | 17:58 | 18:13 |
| October | 17:55 | 18:10 |
| November | 18:01 | 18:16 |
| December | 18:14 | 18:29 |
Computed for the location; accurate to a few minutes. The crew shifts wake-up with the actual swell.
Is the fare different in high season?
The fare has no high season and no low one. The rate list as of 4 November 2026 gives a single whole-boat fare for each of the four routes. It gives a single seat fare for each cabin kind on the Monday & Friday open trip. There is no line for July or August, and none for Christmas. If you hear a different story elsewhere about this boat, ask where it is written.
What we cannot tell you is next year. The 2027 fares are put in writing before any payment. The open-trip dates for 2027 exist, and the fares are confirmed in writing when you ask. So the honest answer to the question that most people type is that the price of Vhale does not rise with the crowd, and that the crowd, not the price, is the reason to prefer October to August. A party that wants a particular week at Christmas should ask early.
Weather, warnings and who decides to sail
Sailing on this coast is allowed, delayed or withdrawn by the harbour authority in Labuan Bajo, which issues the sailing permission and acts on the maritime forecast. Inside that permission the captain decides what the boat does, which stop comes first, and where it anchors for the night. You do not decide, and we do not either. In the wet months the authority closes sailing more than in the dry months, and in strong south-east wind spells too; it has closed it in dry months as well, for a few days at a time.
If sailing is closed on your dates, we tell you the same day and propose the nearest sailing or the other route. Should the boat's owner cancel, we offer a boat of equal standing on your dates, or your money back in full inside 2 days. Is the park closed in 2026? Per 4 November 2026, we know of no closure of the park for the year, only short suspensions of sailing for weather. We check that answer against the week's notices when you write.
Planning the month around the flight
The month you pick decides the flight you take, more than the other way round. A delayed flight can happen in any month, and the wet months give it more chances; the start of 11:00 does not wait for a late one. Arrive the day before and sleep in town. The hotels page explains why, and why the earliest flight on boarding day is a bad idea in any month.
At the other end of the voyage, the three-day route returns to the quay at 12:00 and the two-day route at 17:30. Book a flight home that leaves after those hours with a margin, and a wider one in the wet months. A voyage that finishes at noon and a plane that leaves at one are two good intentions that have not met.
FAQ
What happens to our dates if sailing is closed for weather?
The harbour authority issues or withdraws the sailing permission, and the captain decides the stops within it. If sailing is closed on your dates we tell you the same day and propose the nearest sailing or the other route. If the owner cancels, you are offered a replacement of equal standing, or all of your money back inside 2 days.
Is the park closed in 2026, and as of when?
As of 4 November 2026 we know of no closure of the park for the year. What has happened are short suspensions of sailing for weather, ordered by the harbour authority, in the wet months and in a few dry ones. When you write, we check the week's notices for your dates.
Will the fare be higher if we go in July or August?
No. The rate list as of 4 November 2026 gives one whole-boat fare per route and one seat fare per cabin kind, with no high-season line. The crowd is larger in July and August, the price is not. Fares for 2027 are confirmed in writing.
Check availability — Vhale
Bookings for Vhale are made with the Komodo Explorer team in Labuan Bajo; the boat sails with its own crew of nine.